genetic engineering

Let's start at the beginning - what is High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)? Sugar as we know it traditionally came from sugar cane and later from sugar beets. HFCS was developed from corn in the late 1950s, refined for industrial production in the 1970s, and introduced into many processed foods from 1975-1985 - a big dietary and nutritional change that went largely unnoticed over the past 35 years.

To start at the beginning, what are Genetically Modified Organisms? GMOs have had their DNA altered in a way that doesn’t happen naturally. Individual genes are transferred from one organism to another to obtain a desired trait or characteristic, including transferring between non-related species (such as placing jellyfish genes in pig embryos to create glowing pigs). The process is referred to as "modern biotechnology," "gene technology," "recombinant DNA technology" or "genetic engineering."

Industrial agriculture and monocropping has caused the extinction of thousands of breeds of fruits, vegetables and livestock. The July issue of National Geographic highlights the hopeful work of seed preservation in this article, Food Ark.

Despite the potential environmental threat posed by genetically engineered fish, biotech corporation, AquaBounty has received more than $2.4 million in federal research grants since 2003 to support its GE salmon project.

If your biggest worry is getting circus peanuts or conventional apples in your trick-or-treat bag tonight, hold on to your hat, because there are a LOT scarier food issues these days. Here's a roundup of the most frightening.

Major American universities are practicing "land-grabbing" - buying up African farmland in deals that will likely result in displacement of small farmers, environmental devastation and the further impoverishment and political destabilization. Students and alumni: you have the power to change this.

There's a new GMO in town: Monsanto's GE sweet corn. If you're unhappy about this, you're not alone. Food and Water Watch has initiated a national campaign to pressure Walmart to refuse to sell products using the GE corn.

Undeterred by last month's dismissal, the farmers behind OSGATA et al vs. Monsanto continue to press their case. Meanwhile, Vernon Brown, a farmer who was sued by the biotech behemoth, is taking his case to the Supreme Court.

City folk are now peeing glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup - but that isn't the only news that's garnered Monsanto headlines recently. Here's a "roundup" (ouch) of important Monsanto and GMO news.

King Corn is a humorous and touching documentary about two best friends who decide to move to Iowa to grow an acre of corn after finding out through laboratory hair analysis that their bodies are primarily made out of corn. But this is not your typical buddy picture. While it traces a year in the life of two friends, the film focuses on the history of corn in modern America and the filmmakers' relationship with the crop they've decided to grow.

Sustainable crop production is a way of growing or raising food in an ecologically and ethically responsible manner. This includes adhering to agricultural and food production practices that do not harm the environment, that provide fair treatment to workers, and that support and sustain local communities.